Apparatus for lasting shoe-uppers.



PATENTED MAY 31', 1904-.

Ink-761,356.

W. H. BURRITT. v APPARATUS FOR LASTING SHOE UPPERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1903.

L E D 0 m 0 N A TTORNE Y Nrmms F511;; 00., wow LITHO 45 v erable time, and thus increasing the cost of Y, UNITED: STATES Patented May 31, 1904. i

" PATENT OFFICE.

' 4 ,WIL' LIAM H. BUiiRiTT, on ST. LOUIS, Is'soURI.

APPARATUS FQR'LASTING .SHOE-UPPERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,356, dated May 31, 1904.

application filed y 25, 1903. Serial No. 158,754. (No model.)

To all whom it mag concern:

Be itvknown that I, WILLIAM H. BURRI'TT, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have, invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Lasting Shoe-Uppers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to. improvements in apparatus for forming rubber shoe-uppers; and it consists in' the novel arrangement and combination of parts more fully set forth in the specification, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 4: is a front elevation showing the bag or inflatable diaphragm partly inflated. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line 5 5 of Fig. 3,

showing the device fully inflated; and Fig.-

6 is a perspective showing a conventional form of a rubber shoe-upper.

The object of the present invention is the deftly passed by handover the stockinet, be-

ginning at a point approximately at the middle of the upper, then passing it forward and along the sides, and then rearward. It is apparent, however, that with the hands it is next to impossible to cause this layer to adhere uniformly throughout its entire area, and the final result is that at points air will find a lodging-place between the rubber layer and stockinet, which .must eventually be expelled by a roller passed over the completed upper, an operation requiring considmanufacture.

My present apparatus contemplates a method of applying the rubber layer by pneumatic or equivalent pressure, the rubber 'support,.(not shown,) the sides of the block having secured theretothe rearwardlypro' 5 jecting strips 2 2, between whose free ends is adapted to be received the last-supporting arm 8, held in position by a transverse bolt 4 and tightening-nut 5. The bolt 4 passes through the right-angularly-disposed slots 7 6 7, formed, respectively, in the arms 3 and 2, said slots permitting both of a vertical and backward and forward adjustment of the arm, as is obvious, (see dotted position of the parts in Fig. 3) to accommodate lasts of different sizes. The upper end of the arm 3 has a forwardly-inclined surface for supporting the last L, (L, the latter being held thereon by the pins 8, entering corresponding sockets formed in the top of thelast, the forward end of the last being additionally secured by the clamping .arm 9, pivoted to the front end of the member 1. The arm is drawn toward the last by a spring 10,-attached, respectively, tothe arm above its pivotal point and to the member 1, so that the 8 5 arm' may be disengaged from the .last when desired, (see dotted position, Fig. 3,) the line bottom of the last, the pivotal connection thereof permittingit to conform to any shape orangulardisposition of the last.

Hinged along the upper edge of the memher 1 on each side are leaves 11 11, the adjacent sides of which in the rear extend slightly beyond the rear ends of'the strips 2, so as to fully encompass a last L of maximum dimensions. The leaves ll" jointly form the back- .1

ing or support for a suitable inflatable bag or diaphragm 12, preferably made of elastic material, such as vulcanized rubber, (though other suitable material, such as silk and the like, might answer,) the lower wall of the bag covering the leaves and spanning the member 1 for the full length thereof, Figs. 1, 4, 5. The outer edges of both walls of the bag are folded over the edges of the leaves, Figs. 4, 5, and cemented thereto and to one another and additionally secured to the leaves by pegs 18. Disposed along the rear edge of one of the leaves is an air-induction or feed valve 14 and a vent-valve 15, the former being carried by a pipe 16, disposed along the bottom of the leaf and entering the bag at one point, and the latter being carried by a shorter pipe 17, entering the bag rearward ofthe pipe 16. These valves are ordinary two-way cocks, well known and requiring no detailed description. The valve 14 controls the admission of compressed air conveyed from any suitable source of supply (not shown) through a flexible hose 18, and the valve 15 allows for the escape of such air from the bag at the proper moment.

' Laid upon the diaphragm 12 in a position shown in Fig. 1 is the rubber blank which is to constitute the outer layer of the shoe-upper, this blank for a conventional form of shoe, Fig. 6, being composed of a forward portion a, the lateral wings b b, and a central lobe or tongue 0. The last L has first passed over it the stockinet s, the insole 2', and the marginal piping 1), over which the rubber blank is to be folded in the formation of the completed upper.

The operation of the device may be described as follows: Let us assume that the parts are disposed as seen in Figs. 1, 2, 3. The operator closes valve 15 and opens valve 14, permitting compressed air to inflate the bag or diaphragm 12, the first effect of the inflation being to cause the bag to bulge at the center and contact with the last at approximately the point 00 (indicated in Fig. 3)that is to say, slightly in advance of the instep of the shoe, Fig. 4. The inflated diaphragm will thus carry the ru bber blank with it, causing the latter with further inflation to progressively contact with the last, first along the front of the last, then along the sides, Fig. 5, and eventually along the rear until every portion of the last is enveloped by the rubber blank. The only handwork to be performed is in bringing together the ends of the wings I) b, which form the rear seam of the shoe. These are brought together by slightly overlapping one end over the other.

and trimming off the excess. So, also, are the overlapping edges 6 of the blank, 5, trimmed properly before pasting on the outer sole. (Not shown.) The progressive inflation of the bag or diaphragm causes the leaves to close or fold, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5, this closing resulting from the tension exerted on the upper wall of the diaphragm as a result of the inflation. The greater the inflation the greater will be the tendency of the leaves to close, and when the bag is inflated to the full extent the leaves will rise snfliciently to cause the upper wall of the bag to snugly envelop the last,and thus attach the rubber blank.

The latter, it must be understood, is made of rubber, and before it is vulcanized it adheres on the slightest contact; but since with my present improvement the succession of the surfaces of contact is from the center outward and rearward and gradually progressive in the directions indicated it is apparent that when the shoe is completed an eminently successful result is attained, a result which it is impossible to secure by applying the rubber layer by hand. Of course the bag being made of vulcanized rubber does not adhere to the rubber blank, so there is no danger of the blank sticking to the bag.

It will be seen that in the present case the last is held in an inverted position. The object of this arrangement is to prevent the upper blank from adhering thereto except as it may be forced against it by the graduallyinflating surface of the bag. Normally the blank tends to drop away from the last under .the action of gravity, so there is not the danger of the blank adhering to the last except as it may be forced upward against it. By the old hand method, where the last was mounted right side up, the operatorwas under great disadvantage by reason of the blank dropping toward and against the last and adhering to the st ockinet covering thereof at points which were not desired and from whichit could not advantageously be disengaged after it once adhered, for it must be remembered that the rubber while being applied sticks with the slightest contact.

While I preferably employ compressed air as the inflating medium, I may of course use water, gas, or any available fluid. ()nce the bag is fully inflated the cock 14 is shut oil' until the operation is complete, when the ventvalve 15 is opened, thus allowing the air to escape, whereupon the leaves drop and the bag collapses to its normal position for the next operation. The upper blanks are kept separated by oiled leaves, so as to prevent adhering to one another, and as one shoe is completed the next blank is placed on the diaphragm in readiness for the next operation.

I do not wish, of course, to be limited to the details here shown, as they may be considerably departed from without an actual departure from the nature or spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what 1 claim is- 1. In an apparatus for lasting shoe-uppers, a suitable inflatable diaphragm, hinged leaves to which said diaphragm is secured, a suitable support for said leaves, and means for inflating said diaphragm, substantially asset forth.

2. In .an apparatus for lasting shoe-uppers, a suitableinflatable diaphragm, hinged leaves to which said diaphragm is secured, asuitable support, for the leaves, and means for supporting a last within the angle of the sweep. of the leaves, substantially as set forth.

3. In an apparatus for lasting shoe-uppers, a suitable inflatable diaphragm, hinged leaves to which said diaphragm is secured, means for supporting a last between the hinge-axes of the leaves, and means for inflating the diaphragm, the leaves gradually folding under the progressive inflation and causing the in' flated surface of the diaphragm to progressively engage and envelop the contour of the last, substantially as set forth.

4:. In an apparatus'for lasting shoe-uppers, a suitable inflatable diaphragm, hinged leaves to which said diaphragm is secured, means for supporting a last in an inverted position above the diaphragm and between the hingeaxes of the leaves, and-means for inflating the diaphragm, the leaves gradually folding under the progressive inflation of the diaphragm and causing the inflated surface of the latter to progressively engage and envelop the contour of the last, substantially as set forth.

5. In an apparatusfor lasting shoe-uppers, a suitable inflatable diaphragm, hinged leaves to which said diaphragm is secured, means i for adjustably supporting a last in an inverted folding under the progressive inflation of the diaphragm and causing the inflated surface of the latter to progressively engage and envelop the contour of the last, substantially asset forth.

6. An apparatus for lasting shoe-uppers comprising a pair of leaves hinged to acommon support, an inflatablediaphragm secured;

slots, located between the projecting ends of the strips, a bolt passed through the strips and through the slots of the said arm, a tightening-nut for said bolt, leaves hinged to the supporting member above the strips, an inflatable bag or diaphragm carried by said leaves, feed and vent valves for said diaphragm, and

a spring-controlled.pivoted arm for clamping the last, carried by the supporting member,

as and for the parts operating substantially the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I. afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

'WILLIAM H. BURRITT.

. Witnesses:

EMIL STAREK,

G. L. BELrnY. 

